Publications
Browse publications authored by our scientists. Publications available are: USGS-authored journal articles, series reports, book chapters, other government publications, and more.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Filter Total Items: 5350
Environmental drivers of biseasonal anthrax outbreak dynamics in two multihost savanna systems Environmental drivers of biseasonal anthrax outbreak dynamics in two multihost savanna systems
Environmental factors are common forces driving infectious disease dynamics. We compared interannual and seasonal patterns of anthrax infections in two multihost systems in southern Africa: Etosha National Park, Namibia, and Kruger National Park, South Africa. Using several decades of mortality data from each system, we assessed possible transmission mechanisms behind anthrax dynamics...
Authors
Yen-Hua Huang, Kyrre Kausrud, Ayesha Hassim, Sunday O. Ochai, O. Louis van Schalkwyk, Edgar H. Dekker, Alexander Buyantuev, Claudine C. Cloete, J. Werner Kilian, John K.E. Mfune, Pauline L. Kamath, Henriette van Heerden, Wendy Christine Turner
Taming the temperature: Sagebrush songbirds modulate microclimate via nest-site selection Taming the temperature: Sagebrush songbirds modulate microclimate via nest-site selection
Understanding species’ responses to temperature via behavior, and the factors affecting the extent of behavioral responses, is a critical and timely endeavor given the rapid pace at which the climate is changing. The young of altricial songbirds are particularly sensitive to temperature, and parents may modulate temperatures at nests via selection of nest sites, albeit to a largely...
Authors
Tayler M. Scherr, Anna D. Chalfoun
Ungulate migrations of the western United States, volume 2 Ungulate migrations of the western United States, volume 2
Migration is widespread across taxonomic groups and increasingly recognized as fundamental to maintaining abundant wildlife populations and communities. Many ungulate herds migrate across the western United States to access food and avoid harsh environmental conditions. With the advent of global positioning system (GPS) collars, researchers can describe and map the year-round movements...
Authors
Matthew J. Kauffman, Blake Lowrey, Jeffrey L. Beck, Jodi Berg, Scott Bergen, Joel Berger, James W. Cain, Sarah Dewey, Jennifer Diamond, Orrin Duvuvuei, Fattebert, Jeff Gagnon, Julia Garcia, Evan Greenspan, Embere Hall, Glenn Harper, Stan Harter, Kent Hersey, Pat Hnilicka, Mark Hurley, Lee Knox, Art Lawson, Eric Maichak, James Meacham, Jerod Merkle, Arthur Middleton, Daniel Olson, Lucas Olson, Craig Reddell, Benjamin S. Robb, Gabe Rozman, Hall Sawyer, Cody Schroeder, Brandon Scurlock, Jeff Short, Scott Sprague, Alethea Steingisser, Nicole Tatman
Patterns of live baitfish use and release among recreational anglers in a regulated landscape Patterns of live baitfish use and release among recreational anglers in a regulated landscape
The release of live baitfish by anglers has been identified as a high-risk pathway for the introduction of aquatic invasive species due to the potential for invasive fish, invertebrates, or pathogens to be released simultaneously with the baitfish. Consequently, the release of live baitfish is illegal in many jurisdictions, but little is known about compliance rates or angler motivations...
Authors
Margaret C. McEachran, Alicia Hofelich Mohr, Thomas Lindsay, David C. Fulton, Nicholas B.D. Phelps
Informing management of Henrys Lake, Idaho using an integrated catch-at-age model Informing management of Henrys Lake, Idaho using an integrated catch-at-age model
Henrys Lake, Idaho, supports a popular fishery for Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri and Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout × Rainbow Trout O. mykiss hybrids. A majority of the adult population of fish in Henrys Lake are of hatchery origin that were stocked as fingerlings. The fishery is closed to angling during the late winter and spring months, but fisheries managers...
Authors
Joshua L McCormick, Jennifer Vincent, Brett High, Darcy K. McCarrick, Michael C. Quist
Post-fledging spatial dispersion and movement behaviour differs between cavity-nesting and open-cup nesting passerines Post-fledging spatial dispersion and movement behaviour differs between cavity-nesting and open-cup nesting passerines
Spatial dispersion and movement behaviour vary across animal taxa and can affect fitness. The reasons why species differ in movement behaviour of young and why some species form family groups and other species have dispersed young have been rarely addressed. We tested a hypothesis that spatial dispersion and movement behaviour of dependent young were influenced by their developmental...
Authors
Necmiye Sahin Arslan, Thomas E. Martin
Searching for refuge: A framework for identifying site factors conferring resistance to climate-driven vegetation change Searching for refuge: A framework for identifying site factors conferring resistance to climate-driven vegetation change
Climate change is occurring at accelerated rates in high latitude regions such as Alaska, causing alterations in woody plant growth and associated ecosystem patterns and processes. Our aim is to assess the magnitude and speed that climate-induced changes in woody plant distribution and volume may be reduced and/or slowed by relatively static landscape features like physical...
Authors
Ann M. Raiho, Henry R. Scharf, Carl A. Roland, David K. Swanson, Sarah E. Stehn, Mevin Hooten
Landscape geomorphology and local-riverine features influence Broad Whitefish (Coregonus nasus) spawning habitat suitability in Arctic Alaska Landscape geomorphology and local-riverine features influence Broad Whitefish (Coregonus nasus) spawning habitat suitability in Arctic Alaska
Landscape-level geomorphic processes influence the spatial and temporal arrangement of fish habitats in freshwater ecosystems and fishes move across riverscapes, selecting a suite of habitats to maximise fitness. Here, we explore the influence of geomorphology on stream channel attributes and assess Broad Whitefish (Coregonus nasus) spawning habitat potential in the Colville River in...
Authors
Jason C. Leppi, Jeffrey A. Falke, Daniel J. Rinella, Mark S. Wipfli, Andrew C. Seitz, Matthew S. Whitman
Balancing prey availability and predator consumption: A multispecies stock assessment for Lake Ontario Balancing prey availability and predator consumption: A multispecies stock assessment for Lake Ontario
Trophic interactions are drivers of ecosystem change and stability, yet are often excluded from fishery assessment models, despite their potential capacity to improve estimates of species dynamics and future fishery sustainability. In Lake Ontario, recreational salmonine fisheries, including Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush), depend on a...
Authors
Kimberly B. Fitzpatrick, Brian Weidel, Michael J. Connerton, Jana R. Lantry, Jeremy P. Holden, Michael J. Yuille, Brian F. Lantry, Steven R. LaPan, Lars G. Rudstam, Patrick J. Sullivan, Travis O. Brenden, Suresh Sethi
Using structured decision making to guide habitat restoration for butterflies: A case study of Oregon silverspots Using structured decision making to guide habitat restoration for butterflies: A case study of Oregon silverspots
When making decisions about how to restore habitat for at-risk species, land managers must balance multiple competing objectives in the face of uncertainty about the impacts of management actions on at-risk populations. The Oregon silverspot (Speyeria = Argynnis zerene hippolyta) is a federally threatened butterfly, and uncertainty exists about the effects of proposed management. We used
Authors
Cassandra F. Doll, Sarah J. Converse, Collin B. Edwards, Cheryl B. Schultz
Population dynamics of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout in Henrys Lake, Idaho Population dynamics of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout in Henrys Lake, Idaho
Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout (YCT) Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri is a species with significant ecological and recreational value. In many YCT fisheries, managers are tasked with balancing angler expectations and fish conservation. Henrys Lake supports a popular trophy trout fishery, but the increase of nonnative Utah Chub Gila atraria has caused concern for YCT. We summarized long-term...
Authors
Darcy K. McCarrick, Jeffrey Dillon, Brett High, Michael C. Quist
Secretive marsh bird habitat relationships at mid-continent spring migration stopover sites Secretive marsh bird habitat relationships at mid-continent spring migration stopover sites
Despite several secretive marsh bird (SMB) species being listed as critically imperiled throughout the mid-continent of North America, limited information on SMB distribution and habitat use within primary migratory corridors results in uncertainty on contributions of wetlands in mid-latitude states toward their annual cycle needs. Our objectives were to quantify temporal patterns of SMB...
Authors
Elisabeth B. Webb, E.B. Hill, K.M. Malone, D. Mengel